Getting Inside “The Ill Mind Of Hopsin 6”: Should We Care?

Whoever coined the phrase don’t judge a book by it’s cover clearly wasn’t a hip-hop fan. There are so many talented artists out there that it would be impossible to give every single one the time they deserve. Instead, we tend to make assumptions about an artist because of the way he looks or what we hear about them, whether or not its accurate or fair.

It is human nature to make snap judgments on people based on very little actual knowledge, so why would hip-hop be any different? One artist, I know very little about, but thought I had pegged was Hopsin. I know he is a touring fiend, has a loyal fanbase, and releases material on a just slightly more than Jay Elec schedule. I also thought he was a left-of center, wild artist that you might find on Strange Music as opposed to Funk Volume. With his new video-assisted single, "Ill Mind Of Hopsin 6" (off his forthcoming album), those, like me, who don’t know much about him, learn a lot more than just what he is like behind the mic.

Is this cut mind-blowing or genre changing? No, but it is a pretty solid effort, and, for me, a solid introduction to the mind and stylings of Hop. Backed by his own, violin-driven beat (bonus points for producing his own shit) Hop shares a tale of a friend addicted to Meth with a very unique flow. It is powerful, but also has a subtle nasally sound which gives it a little more punch. Hopsin even flexes his pipes on the hook; a nice compliment to his flow, which grows more and more intense as the song builds.

Before this song, I would never have pegged Hopsin as a storytelling or narrative emcee, but the dude has some conceptual skills. I always prefer a story or narrative in my hip-hop and if I am considering whether or not to keep an artist on my radar, the content is always what sways me. If this were a song about how hungry Hop is or how much he likes to smoke weed, I’d probably say forget it, but because there is some depth to it, I will definitely be checking out more; going that extra mile does wonders for any emcee, big or small.

So what do you think RefinedHype Nation, should I continue to care about Hopsin? Do you? Did this cut, for better or worse, change your opinion of him?

This article originally appeared on RefinedHype.com, which has now merged with The DJBooth. For more info, click here.